Chapter 109: Oh! My favourite daughter-in-law.

Chapter 109: Oh! My favourite daughter-in-law. Aaron and Julian reached the training room, and upon entering, Aaron locked the door to prevent any disturbance. "Weapon or fist fight?’’ Aaron asked, eyeing the weapons rack lining the walls with a longing expression, but remembering this was his sister’s husband, he sighed. Julian faced the same dilemma, sighing in disappointment each time before adopting a fighting stance. "Fist fight, but powers are permitted," Julian said, his eyes turning sharp as he assessed Aaron. "Don’t mind if I use my full strength," Aaron said before melting into the shadows, leaving the air silent. The flickering crystal lights and Julian’s steady heartbeat echoed throughout the room. The crystal lights near Julian flicker twice, and he dodged left as a shadowy leg suddenly shot out, aiming for his side. Julian blocked it with his hands, shifting back slightly from the force. In a blink, he teleported behind Aaron and threw a punch, but Aaron stepped back just in time—the air from the blow grazing his skin. Aaron didn’t retreat into the shadows. Instead, he clashed with Julian in a blur of movement—fists flying, the sharp crack of punches echoing through the room. Blow after blow, neither gained the upper hand; both were perfectly matched. They separated, eyeing the other, each spotting bruises on their faces and some hidden underneath their clothes. "You’re good,’’ Julian commented, Aaron humming in response. "Have you known my sister for a long time? Can you tell me what she likes?’ Aaron asked, his voice softening at his last sentence. ’Hmm... almost a month we’ve known each other,’ Julian muttered with a reminiscing smile before a chuckle slipped his lips. "She likes meat, cats, and our... cough.’ Julian caught himself from almost saying their abs. Aaron looked at him with suspicion, but his mind quickly grasped the first sentence. "It hasn’t been a month, and she’s already married to you both? Why didn’t you wait a little longer? It’s too quick." His hands clenched into fists, cursing his luck for not finding his sister sooner—now two wolves have devoured his lovely sister. With those thoughts racing through his mind, his anger erupted, and he lunged at Julian, punching him hard in the stomach. Julian would have dodged, but he allowed Aaron to vent his fury—knowing that if he were in Aaron’s shoes, he would have done even worse. He was selfishly glad he married Eva before she found her family. With her father and brother always watching, getting closer to her might take forever or never. Even as her husband, it was hard to be near her when they were around, and it was only the second day. Feeling he had given Aaron enough chance to vent, he began attacking — they fought viciously like they were aiming for the other’s life, but not landing a finishing blow. ⸙⸙⸙⸙ Meanwhile, Eva was sitting on clean grass, the purse of gold coins and other gifts she received yesterday was laid out in front of her. "Mulah... hahaha... I’m rich, what should I buy? Meat ♫ meat ♫," she sang out loud, but stopped abruptly when a thought flashed through her mind. "Hold on a moment—there’s chaos outside, no shops are open, and everything has been destroyed. Does that mean I can’t spend my money? Ah! This can’t be real (;д;)." Eva felt the universe was playing a cruel joke; now, she has money she can’t even use it. She pounded the ground in disbelief; her earlier joy vanished. "No, something must be done. Isn’t my mother trying to stop the chaos?" Muttering to herself, she sat back, resting her chin in thought. "Hmm... Even if it stops, I’ll still have to go to the surface. Don’t tell me, I still can’t spend the money in my hands." She touched the pouch of coins in regret, hating whoever caused this chaos in the first place. Since this world is planning to return to the surface, the money in her hand was still useful; she only had to spend it in the future and not now. Consoling herself with these words, she rose to her feet and returned to her room. She moved towards the door when she caught Ethan’s figure from the corner of her eye. Stopping in her tracks, she then walked towards the bed. ’Why is he sleeping on my bed? Hmm... his face looks so innocent and less cold.’ Eva thought as she caressed Ethan’s sleeping face. Her fingers moved softly towards the side of his lips, gently stretching his face into a smile. She was so absorbed in her action that she didn’t notice Ethan’s eyes tremble slightly. She was about to withdraw her hand and leave the room when Ethan suddenly grasped it. His eyes snapped open—gazing silently at her with his blue eyes, which were darker from sleep. "You can’t leave after taking advantage of him.’’ With that, he grasped her waist and flipped her under him before she could react. "I only touched your face... mmm..." Ethan kissed her, silencing her words. He pinned her arms above her head, stilling her struggle, as he kissed her roughly, stealing the breath from her lungs. Their kiss grew intense—his tongue rolling around hers, sucking softly before biting her gently on the lower lip. He broke the kiss. Eva heaved, sucking greedily for air, her eyes watery and dazed as she looked at Ethan. "Morning," he murmured in a husky whisper—making her already flushed face turn a deeper shade of red. Ethan chuckled softly, leaving Eva stunned and causing her to take a second look at his face, doubting if her Ethan had been replaced by someone else. Her dazed expression shifted to one of doubt and curiosity as she cupped his face. "Are you Ethan? Or—gasp! You’ve been replaced," she whispered dramatically, pulling at his cheeks as if trying to peel off a fake mask. Ethan hissed, stunned at how she reached that conclusion. Although he was reserved by nature, he could show other emotions; he didn’t have facial paralysis, but he wasn’t keen on displaying his feelings openly. He removed her hands from his cheeks and gently knocked on her head. "It’s me. Who else can replace me?" he asked as he got up from the bed. Eva rubbed her head and muttered, "This is a world filled with different powers. There’s a possibility someone could have this kind of ability. Even you can shapeshift into animals—so why can’t someone shapeshift into humans?" Ethan paused at her words, his expression turning thoughtful, pondering why he had never considered this angle before. "Even if there is, it would be rare. Let’s go have breakfast; we’ll be visiting those noble families responsible for the blast." His voice grew colder at the last sentence. "Alright." Eva’s expression grew serious as she got out of bed. Both left the room and headed towards the dining room. Everyone was gathered and seated, clearly waiting for both of them. Julia and Aaron’s eyes flashed upon seeing Ethan close to Eva. ’Sly fox. Tsk, while I was fighting, he seized the chance to be alone with Eva.’ Julian swore inwardly, gripping his fork tightly to resist the urge to hurl it at Ethan. He grimaced from pain as the fork pressed against his bruised finger, then quickly loosened his hold. Aaron glanced at Ethan’s smug expression and bent the spoon in his hands from suppressed anger, mentally planning to spar with Ethan when they returned, this time armed with a weapon. "Dear, come sit here," Grace called out with a smile, motioning to the seat beside her. Eva smiled and walked over, sitting down as they bombarded her with words of concern. "Did you sleep well?’’ Leo asked, concerned she might not be used to staying in a new environment and have poor sleep. "Is the bed to your liking? I prepared it at the last minute,’’ Grace asked cautiously, only she knew that the room had been reserved for years for her daughter. "I slept well, and the bed was so soft. I like the room very much,’’ Eva replied immediately. Her heart warmed at their concern. "That’s good. If you need—" Grace’s words were cut off by hurried footsteps approaching the dining room. She turned to see one of Leo’s men burst in, his expression urgent. "Where are your manners? Can’t you see we’re having breakfast? Whatever it is can wait," Leo said coldly, waving the guard away. "Master—" the guard began, but was cut off by a loud booming voice. "You brat, why didn’t you inform me that my granddaughter was found? Must I first get the news from my spies?" A striking older man sauntered into the room, his wooden cane tapping rhythmically on the ground. Leo facepalmed helplessly when he saw his father and hissed under his breath from Grace’s pinch. "Dad, you’re here. I didn’t know you replaced the spies...again," Grace said with a strained smile, digging her nails into Leo’s skin beneath the table. "Oh! My favourite daughter-in-law. Glad you’re still alive," the older man said. His voice held no real concern—if anything, it sounded sarcastic. Eva stared wide-eyed, glancing between her mother and the older man. She could feel the tension crackling in the air between them.